Calling Carter.

SILAH

Ow. That bloody hurt. But, god, it felt so good not having my arms above my head.

“Silah?” Carter was hurriedly moving all the lengths of rope out of the way so I was free of it. When it was finally gone he pulled me close and wrapped his arms around me, just holding me. We were both shaking and neither of us cared.

Finally, he said, “I can’t believe you thought I wasn’t coming back.” He whispered.

“It would have been the smart thing,” I whispered back, “you could have been killed!”

Silence.

“Why are we whispering?” he whispered then.

“I don’t know,” I said quietly. “But we need to get rid of Caidan.”

“What do you suggest?” Carter asked.

I looked up at him with a grim, nasty smile.

“Come see and I’ll show you.” Getting to my feet painfully, Carter close behind me, I checked that Caidan was still out cold, then grabbed his hands – ew, ew, ew – and started dragging him. My arms and shoulders screamed with each step but I just gritted my teeth – and winced a few times – and carried on.

Carter took the other hand and followed, making the job easier. It took us a while to get Caidan to the clearing at the top of View Hill, but we did it. I told Carter I wanted Caidan up by the cliff edge.

He stared at me.

I looked at him, and he glanced down at Caidan. I thought he was about to back out – and I wouldn’t have blamed him – when he said, “Let’s do this,” and I knew he understood what I wanted to do. We both looked out at the view that gave the hill its name as we hauled Caidan up, then walked closer and closer to that slippery rim of earth.

I took a deep breath. I had always said I wanted to kill Caidan but this was the real thing, real, cold-blooded murder. Could I do it?

Yes.

“Three, two…” I said, and we both pushed at the same time. Slowly, almost unreally, Caidan toppled over the edge.

Instead of watching, Carter hugged me again as Caidan was lost from view and it all ended. He held me tightly, forehead resting on my shoulder, as we heard rocks falling and other, bloodier sounds. “I love you,” he said again, once the din had quietened.

“I love you too. Thankyou for coming back for me,” I answered. I didn’t look at him as I said it. Instead I looked down, over at the astounding mess we made. Caidan was dead, no doubt. There was blood everywhere, all over the rocks, and some bone, too, I think. I couldn’t imagine anything else that would look like that.

“Si, I’ll always come back for you. Never forget it. I said you were mine, and I meant it.” Carter said firmly.

He gave me a look that said we could argue about it later. Then, with a smirk he didn’t even try to hide, he suddenly bent and swept me sideways off my feet, and I rather ungracefully fell into his arms. Nice to know this wasn’t going completely like a fairy tale.

“Put me down,” I demanded indignantly.

You know what? The bugger didn’t. He insisted on carrying me all way back to his house. Nothing I said would make him change his mind. Any threat I made fell on deaf ears. All pouts and attempted cute eyes were ignored. Finally I decided on the silent treatment, but he just kissed my not-sore cheek and continued walking. I don’t know how he did it. I knew for a fact that I was heavy, and he must have been exhausted.

As we came up the path and the house came into view, Carter finally put me down, and I wobbled dangerously. It was really cold, and I hurried to get inside. Carter supported me as we hurried inside, and Adam moved from the couch to the door even faster than Carter had earlier.

He hugged me so damn tight I couldn’t breathe, and my shoulders throbbed. “Adam,” I squeaked, “Adam, I…” and I lost the breath to say I couldn’t breathe.

“Thankyou,” he whispered fiercely, hugging me tighter for a split second. “We need to go to the Medical Center, now. She’s in surgery.”

We waited for a long time. I insisted on finding out how my Mum was (no change, but looking better) and even after I got out of my own personal hell with the doctor, complete with new stitches in my arm – which had been ripped open even more and “how could I stand the pain let alone use the arm” – a pocketful of pain meds (which I had refused to take) and a plaster on my face, we still had to wait. Layny gave me the same type of hug Adam had. I was just glad I’d never gotten broken ribs, or it would have really screwed me up.

Layny informed us that it wasn’t looking too good, but Kala was far from dead. She didn’t ask about Caidan and Carter and I didn’t mention him.

Two and a half hours later Kala was in a private room and just waking up from the anaesthetic. Groggy and still woozy from the meds, she was very confused at first. We explained what had happened, where she was, and why she was in hospital. Internal bleeding – which had been stopped, thank god – both shoulders dislocated, broken wrist, a lot of cuts, and a few stitches here and there. We got very lucky. When Carter and Layny left to get food – leaving Adam and I with Kala (since I wasn’t allowed out of the hospital) – I very quietly told her that Caidan was dead, because she was still afraid. I could see it.

When I told her she stared at me, shocked and surprised. Then relief washed over her face, and a single tear rolled down her cheek. “Thankyou,” she whispered. I nodded.

I was pissed off when I found out they were making me stay overnight for observation, even though I got to share a room with Kala. I didn’t even have to send an appealing glance towards Carter to know that he planned on staying the night with me. But first, I needed a change of clothes. Since Carter was going back to get some for himself anyway, he told me he’d get mine too.

“Just sleep until I get back, okay? I’ll go as fast as I can.” Carter murmured as he stood and kissed me quickly. I smiled at him and watched as the door closed and his retreating footsteps faded before letting my eyes drift shut. On the other side of the room Adam watched Kala sleeping, the worry lines fading from his face. His “I’ve just been electrocuted” hair was absolutely wild from when he had been running his hands through it all night.

I woke up again as Carter was entering the hospital room. His smile was what I’d been waiting for. He placed a bag on the end of my bed, and I smiled. He came closer to me and held my hand, then raised it and kissed my fingers.

I smiled wider, then reluctantly told him he and Adam had to leave so I could get changed. He suggested waiting in the corner of the room, but I said no. He asked if he could wait in the corner with his back turned, and I said no. Finally I just told him he could come back in five minutes and the sooner he left the sooner he could come back. He sighed, and slowly ambled to the door. It had barely shut when my phone started ringing.

With a curious peek, I glanced at the screen, then laughed.

Calling: Carter.